Are our students OK? What the data say

By Nancy Willard

Sunday

Sep 9, 2018 at 12:01 AM

Summer has ended and this region’s youths are back in school. For many, it's a time of excitement and delight, but for some it's one of dread and despair. These are the students who are returning to school environments damaging to their hearts and souls.

The Oregon Health Authority's Student Wellness Survey is conducted every other spring. I have closely evaluated the 2012-2018 data for Lane County and the three largest districts.

They show that about a third of secondary students do not believe any staff member really cares about them and are not willing to talk to a staff member about a concern — consistent since 2009. Positive staff-student relationships are the foundation of an environment that supports learning and emotional well-being.

A large percentage of students reported being harassed on a broad question about hurtful behavior — also unchanged from 2009. More significantly, 11 percent of students did not attend school in the 30 days prior to the survey because they felt unsafe.

Of very significant concern is that 34 percent of students reported they had experienced depression, 19 percent reported seriously considered attempting suicide, and 9 percent reported attempted suicide — percentages that have increased.

Eugene 4J has also conducted its own school climate survey. There has been no actual decline in the numbers of students reporting being bullied or harassed since 2009. Close to 9 percent of students reported being bullied or harassed based on minority status once a week or more. Two thirds of these students said they would not ask for help from school staff.

Eugene 4J’s plan to address these concerns is the same approach they have been using for years — with zero evidence of effectiveness.

Both Eugene 4J and Springfield are strongly dedicated to a program called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) that originated at the University of Oregon. If PBIS was effective, the schools in this region would be beacons of light for schools throughout the country.

Data from the Springfield school district also provides huge warnings. The level of emotional distress in Springfield students far exceeds that in other local districts. Springfield, a "model PBIS district," has been diligently implementing PBIS for 5 years, with significant support from the UO. PBIS claims to reduce bullying, help staff build positive student relations and improve social and emotional outcomes for all students. There has been no improvement in Springfield on any of these measures.

PBIS has not fully integrated recent prevention science insights to ensure cultural inclusion, support students who experience trauma and resolve situations in a non-punitive manner. PBIS encourages schools to reward compliant students, resulting in privileges for students with no challenges who come from secure families. By contrast, students who have experienced trauma, have disabilities, and/or come from families experiencing toxic stress are routinely discouraged, shamed, and excluded.

The following are recommendations I have made to the schools:

Implement a comprehensive, positive school climate approach that integrates trauma-informed practices, cultural inclusion, and restorative practices.Stop using token rewards that shame and exclude students. Engage students in the collaborative development of shared values and commitments.Improve staff-student relationships. Ensure all staff are making a concerted, ongoing effort to positively interact with all students, especially those with greater challenges.Increase student resilience through daily mindfulness practices and building personal strengths, de-escalation and problem-solving skills.Establish student leadership teams to foster kindness and inclusion and model effective personal relationship skills.Improve how principals investigate and intervene when hurtful incidents or other concerns are reported. Shift from discipline to increasing resilience, ensuring accountability and achieving a positive resolution for all involved.

It is my fervent hope that our region's school districts will deeply consider what these data say about the emotional well-being of our young people and engage in proactive, positive strategies to improve their practices.

Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D. is the director of Embrace Civility in the Digital Age. More information is on her website at http://embracecivility.org.

Eugene 4J 2018 Survey on School Climate and Bullying and Harassment

Eugene 4J has conducted a school climate survey since 2009. There has been no actual decline in the rate at which students report bullying or harassment since then. There was a perception of a decline for several years, but this was due to a variation in the student population taking the survey. In 2018, the data showed:

•6.5 percent of students reported they had been bullied once a week or more and 5.5 percent of students reported they had been harassed once a week or more.

•A total of 8.8 percent reported they had been bullied, harassed or both once a week or more.

•It is important to consider the students who reported being harassed based on minority status. The percentage given is for all students. As students who have a minority status are, by definition, a minority, this means a very significant number of such minority students are being treated badly once a week or more.

•64 percent of students who reported they had been bullied and 68 percent who had been harassed once a week or more said they would not talk to a staff member to get help. The district’s proposed plan of action to address bullying and harassment is dependent on students reporting.

2018 Student Wellness Survey

This is data from Lane County and the three largest districts from 2012 to 2018. Bethel did not have its students complete the 2018 survey because the district is working on its own school climate survey. It should be noted that Bethel school district is showing excellent leadership in integrating trauma informed care, cultural inclusion, and restorative practices.

Staff-Student Relationships

•36 percent of students reported they did not think they could talk openly and freely about their concerns with a teacher

•34 percent of students reported there was no adult at school who really cares about them.

•This data has remained consistent since 2012.

•This data is of profound concern because positive staff-student relations are the foundation for learning and emotional well-being. In addition, in an era of increased threats of suicide or violence, it is essential that students feel that they can safely talk with a staff member about their concerns or the concerns of others.

Feeling Unsafe at School

•11 percent of students did not go to school one or more times in the prior 30 days because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to and from school.

•13 percent of Springfield students reported they felt unsafe coming to school, as compared to 7 percent of Bethel students in 2016 and 9 percent of 4J students in 2018. This finding raises significant concerns, as Springfield has been diligently implementing PBIS for the last 5 years.

•This number has increased since 2012.

Being Harassed

•48 percent of students reported being “harassed” in the past 30 days. The way this question is worded leads to an assumption that students are reporting hurtful behavior — a broader concept than “bullying.”

•The percentages of students who reported being harassed was equivalent at all three districts. From this, it can be presumed that the Eugene 4J data regarding students who are being bullied or harassed once a week or more is very likely close to what would be reported in the other two districts, if frequency had been assessed in those districts.

•This data has remained consistent since 2012.

Emotional and Mental Health

•In 2018, only 72 percent of Eugene and Springfield students reported good to excellent emotional and mental health. In 2016, 80 percent of Bethel students reported good to excellent mental health. However, across the state this number has been declining.

•38 percent of Springfield students reported they had experienced depression in the year prior to the survey, compared to 30 percent of students in Bethel in 2016 and 29 percent of 4J students in 2018. Of significant concern, 49 percent of Springfield 11th grade students reported experiencing depression.

•21 percent of Springfield students reported they had seriously considered attempting suicide, compared to 18 percent of Bethel students in 2016 and 18 percent of 4J students in 2018. Of significant concern, 26 percent of Springfield 11th grade students reported they had seriously considered suicide.

•11 percent of Springfield students reported they had actually attempted suicide, compared to 10 percent of Bethel students and 9 percent of 4J students.

•These percentages have all increased since 2012.

All of these figures demonstrate the concerns associated with Springfield school district’s dedication to the PBIS approach of using token rewards that discourage, shame, and exclude the students who have greater concerns. These concerns should not be attributed to the excellent teachers and principals in the Springfield district, who are following the directions of district leadership, under the guidance from the University of Oregon.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Oregon youth aged 10-24. Factors associated with an increased risk of suicide among youth include prior attempts, depression, family discord, substance abuse, relationship problems, discipline or legal problems and access to firearms. Protective factors include effective care for mental, physical and substance abuse disorders, access to mental health care, support for seeking help, reduced access to lethal means, discussing problems with friends or family, emotional health, strong connections to family and community and such life skills as problem-solving, conflict resolution and anger management.

Free, confidential and anonymous support is available 24/7 for youth at LINES FOR LIFE Call: 800-273-TALK (8255) En Espanol: 1088-628-9454 TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) Text: 273TALK to 839863 Web: https://www.linesforlife.org

Lane County Public Health’s Help = Hope Suicide Prevention Program has an active Suicide Prevention Steering Committee. More information is at http://preventionlane.org.

Insight into the Concerns and Positive Strategies are at Embrace Civility Web site at http://embracecivility.org.

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